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Thursday, December 3

Details Are Important

My friend, Patti, is an ultra-sound technician and I hate watching medical shows with her because she critiques them. "They wouldn't hold that like that. That isn't what you'd use that for."I don't know the difference so those things don't bother me. But, when I know the difference, it does bug the heck out of me. I hated Fifty Shades for a number of things--beginning with page two. See, the main character, for now to be known as DC--Dumb Chick--lives in my town, Vancouver, WA. And this happens:The road is clear as I set off from Vancouver, WA toward Portland and the I-5. It's early and I don't have to be in Seattle until two this afternoon.My problem? Portland is South of Vancouver and Seattle is North. We never head to Portland to get to Seattle because I-5 runs through our town. And nobody goes toward Portland in rush hour traffic unless they absolutely have to. Plus, later we learn DC lives near the WSU Vancouver Campus which ends up being in the Northern most area of Vancouver. So, again, she'd just jump on the freeway and head to Seattle. A simple look at a map would've solved this snaffu.

After The Voice Monday night, the new TV show, Superstore had a sneak peak. As a retail worker, I thought this would be a fun show to watch. Plus, I always enjoy America Ferrera, and Ben Feldman.So, maybe we shouldn't watch shows that our in our wheelhouse of expertise.

The first show began with a joke that was several years outdated. There is a store staff meeting and a manager or LP supervisor--not really sure, they don't say who she is, but she seems to have some sort of authority and has indiscriminate access to security cameras--holds a generic box of decongestant and a bag of crack. She says, "People buy this--" holding the box of what is supposed to be generic sudafed--"to make this." the crack. And an employee says, "He said he a bad cold." "But, 35 boxes?" America cracks.Sudafed in all it's forms was taken off the sales floor around five years ago and put behind the pharmacy counter. And there's a national data base that you have to sign into when you purchase so you can't purchase more that the legal limit in any given time.

And when Sudafed was on the sales floor, it wasn't bought by the drug makers, it was stolen. There were several times when people came in to our store, took a blue basket and swept the shelf and escaped through the fire exit door where there was getaway car waiting.In the second episode, that LP/Mgr lady calls an emergency staff meeting and everyone leaves the floor. What????? Can you imagine being at Target and seeing the cashiers and the floor people leave their areas to attend a meeting???The show had some humorous moments, but like my friend, Patti, I found myself thinking, "That wouldn't happen."It's always a bummer when writers don't do the research, because it takes the reader or the viewer right out of the moment. And that's never a good thing.

4 comments:

Yes, a little research can help with the details, but then the jokes for the masses are lost :-) But I feel your pain! My hubby is an airplane mechanic, so I can't watch anything with aircraft (cuz they always get it wrong)!

Facts are important. I once read a pre-Civil War novel where the heroine was decorating her ballroom with orchids. Someone mentioned how lovely they were and she replied, "Thank you. I had them flown in from the Caribbean." Ummmmm... flown in? How exactly? Did little birds carry one each in their beaks?

I remember reading that Susan Ford (the president's daughter) couldn't watch The West Wing because the offices were in the wrong places. It was my favorite show, so it made me glad I didn't know that. I do know I get mad at how postal workers are always represented--even the beloved Cliff Claven from Cheers!